Coil receiving apparatus



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hm? AUGUSTMELLER JL,

his Alldmey.

Sept. 9, 1958 A. MELLER, JR

0011. RECEIVING APPARATUS Filed 001;. 1, 1956 Ema/a W v WWW HHI I I IW H u IAN Sept. 9, 1958 A. MELLER, JR'

con RECEIVING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 1, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mum llvvavr ofl AUGUST MELLER Jr., By. M

his Allorney.

Sept. 9, .1958 A. MEL-LER, JR

con RECEIVING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 1, 1956 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 //V|/E/V7'0/? AUGUST MELLER Jr. BK Mata 511914;;

his AI/omey.

United States Patent COIL RECEIV IN G'APPARATUS .August -Meller, Jr.,-Birmingham, Ala., assignorto United States Steel Corporation, avcorporationof New Jersey Application October 1; 1956, Serial No; 6135291 .3..Claims. :(Cl. 214-130) .The present invention. relates generally .to .material handling apparatus-and more particularly to a transfer device .for receiving and transferringbundlestof coiled material.

Among the objects of .the invention 115-10 :provide apparatus for receiving'bundles iof .coiled material; periodi- .cally removed .from processing equipment-which canbe installed in a location remote from. the processingiequip- .mentand includes a coil-receiving platform'adaptedv tobe :moved into position proximate to the;processing equip- ..ment.

Another object of the inventioniis Ito;provide;a:.gravity ramp havingan -elevatable ,platform portion which can v.be raised -arcuately away from the ramp:to-;:receive:-a -coil andtransfer it .to the ramp.

assume operative .positionasthe-platform is raised and resume inoperative position when the platform is lowered onto the frame.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the top plate shown in dotted lines to show underlying structural elements;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on lines IV-IV of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line VV of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on line VIVI of Figure 3; and

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken on line VII-VII of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings reference numeral 2 designates the mandrel of strip mill uncoiler 4. The uncoiler, which is not claimed as part of the invention, is of conventional structure well known in the art and therefore will not be described in detail. The coil receiving apparatus of the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 6 and includes a frame 8 and a gravity ramp 10 supported on the frame. The gravity ramp includes an elevatable platform 12 which in normal lowered position constitutes a detached continuation of the ramp 10. The coil receiving apparatus 6 is disposed below and to one side of the mandrel 2. Although the apparatus of the invention is described in conjunction with an uncoiler for purposes of illustration it is to be noted that it is not restricted to such use but ---.may be "used .for receiving bundles of coiled material ufromother types ofequipment.

A double actingfiuid pressure .cy1inder:14 having.-a -piston. rod .16 projecting. from one end is -disposed in the 5 f1' ame 10 adjacentoneend 17 thereofwiththe pistonrod ..16,directed towardzthe opposite end.18-of.the frame. .A :guideway 20in .the framev lfl extends' from .theend of :the cylinder 14 towardthe end 18..of the .frame.

A connecting rod 22 is pivotally:-attached .byone-end 10 .angularly .upward-ly therefrom toaa pivotal. connection 24 with a flange 26 which .depends-from-the undersurface -of- .the.pla tfor.m.-12. As .best: shown .inrFigure :3 .the .con- 'necting rod .22: issattached intermediate: theiside edges of the platform..,12 adjacent the zend =thereof towardcthe -..rarr 1p-.1 0. zrA pin.2'8 .-connects the.connectin g rod-22 with .the piston .-rod 16. Bearings-.30 aree'rotatively mounted around the projecting extremities .of the pin 28 :and -are .adapted'to facilitate. travel. of the pistonrod; 16 along .the guideway 20 when the piston rod is projected. from the .cylinder.-.I4.

Paralle-logram -;linkages are provided for lifting the platform. 12 as itiszmoved away fromthe 'ramps10. The parallelogram linkages include -a-.link:32 pivotally-rattached by one end 34 to a flange 33 which dependsafrom the .-.:undersid e .Ofr the .platfornn12 and-extends alongithe length of the platform. :The;1ink.32-extendsrfromrthepivotal .con-nectiomat its ends-34 in a-.substantia lly. horizontal ;;.plane-.and is connectedbyits other-endito'azshaftrfiti. .Ihe ;..shart :36, :is rotatablytmountedz in ;the: frame 8 andsextends :tra-nsversely :ithereof ill-1a: plane .below': the :platform 12 .tas bestt-shown in Figure 7. ';A'1.link-38' isapivotallyncondirected-adjacent; its: onezend a40. tor.the flangeg33; at. a'gpoint .42. intermediate .the .vlength F-ofthey-platform 12. .--;T:he -.o'pposite -z-end; :39 of link F38: ismk-eyedzon '.a='-shaft-46. The shaft 46 isaro-tatablyfmountedzinithe: frame:8:and:.=extends ttransversely. thereofaadjacenta itseend 18.

A;.tr-a-nsverse :shaft 48 ;is-: rotatablysmountedizon' ethe underside of the platform 12 adjacent the end thereof 4 toward the end 18 of the frame. The shaft 48 is provided with a lever arm 52 on one end which is connected with one end of a tension spring '54. The opposite end of the spring 54 is attached to the bottom of the platform 12. A pair of spaced chocks 56 are mounted on the shaft 48. As shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6 each of the chocks 56 fits in an opening 58 in the surface of the platform 12 when the platform is in normal lowered position. When the platform 12 is elevated, as shown in broken lines in Figure 2, the shaft 48 is rotated by means of the lever arm 52 and spring 54. Rotation of the shaft 48 causes the checks 56 to project upwardly from the surface of the platform 12. Each of the chocks 56 is provided with a flange 60 which is adapted to contact the frame 8 when the platform 12 is lowered, thereby causing rotation of the shaft 48 against the force of the spring 54 to lower the chocks 56 into the openings 58.

In operation, when it is desired to remove a coil C from the mandrel, the cylinder 14 is actuated to project the piston rod 16. Projection of the piston rod 16 moves the platform 12 away from the ramp 10 by means of the connecting rod 22. As the platform 12 is moved away from the ramp, links 32 and 38 lift the platform to a position subjacent the end of the mandrel 2, as shown in broken lines in Figure 2.

When the platform 12 is raised, the end of link 33 is projected above the surface of the platform 12 through slots 62 to function as a stop. A link 64 is keyed on the end of the shaft 46 spaced from the link 38. The free end of the link 64 is adapted to project upwardly through a slot 66 in the platform 12 to function as a coil stop when the platform is in elevated position. After to the projectingend of the piston-.rod 16 and extends the platform 12 has been elevated into position adjacentthe mandrel 2 the coil C is stripped from the mandrel and positioned on the platform 12 between the chocks 56 and the upwardly projecting ends of the links 38 and 64. The platform 12 is then lowered by actuating cylinder 14 to retract piston rod 16; Lowering of the platform 12 causes the projecting ends of the links 38 and 64 to be lowered below the platform 12. When the platform reaches normal lowered position, the flanges 60 engage the top of the frame 8 and rotate shaft 48 to move'the chocks 56 into inoperative position in the openings 58. The coil is then free to roll down the sloping ramp until it engages a coil stop 68.

The edge of the ramp 10 adjacent the-platform 12 is provided with a longitudinal slot 70 so that the connecting rod 22 may move upwardly without interference. A plate 72 is affixed to the top of the connecting rod 22 and fits in the slot 70, as best shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the platform is in normal lowered position.

Link 32 is made up of two spaced bars 32 connected together intermediate their lengths by transverse plate 32". Link 38 is formed of two spaced bars 38' connected together intermediate their ends by means of a transverse plate 38".

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Coil-receiving apparatus comprising a frame, a gravity ramp on said frame, a platform on said frame adapted when in normal position to constitute a continuation of said ramp, parallelogram linkages pivotally connected to said platform and to said frame effective to lift the platform when it is moved away from said normal position, one of said linkages having a projecting end adapted to project upwardly of said platform through an opening therein when said platform is in elevated position, and power means mounted in said frame for moving said platform away from and toward said ramp.

2. Coil-receiving apparatus comprising a frame, a gravitey ramp on said frame, a platform on said frame adapted when in normal position to constitute a continuation of said ramp, parallelogram linkages pivotally connected to said platform and to said frame effective to lift the platform when it is moved away from said normal position, power means mounted in said frame for moving said platform away from and toward said ramp, and a guideway in said frame extending longitudinally thereof for said last-named power means.

3. Coil-receiving apparatus comprising a frame, a gravity ramp on said frame, a platform adapted when in normal position to constitute a continuation of said ramp, first and second links each having one end pivoted to said frame and being pivoted adjacent its other end to said platform so as to lift the platform when it is moved away from said normal position, a first transverse shaft rotatably mounted on said frame and spaced below said platform at a point intermediate the length of said platform, a second transverse shaft rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent the end thereof remote from said ramp, said one end of said first link being rigidly attached to said first shaft and said one end of said second link being rigidly attached to said second shaft, :1 third link rigidly attached by one end to said second shaft in spaced relation to said second link, said third link normally extending from said second shaft in a horizontal plane substantially parallel with said second link, said platform having openings therethrough adjacent the edge thereof toward said ramp, said one end of said second link and the free end of said third link being adapted to project upwardly of said platform through said openings to thereby provide stops on said platform when the latter is raised from said normal position, and means mounted in said frame for moving said platform away from and toward said ramp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,059,703 McBane Nov. 3, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 416,595 Germany July 21, 1925 

